Thousands of Queenslanders have rallied in solidarity with Indigenous Australians calling for the government to rethink justice reform and change the date for Australia Day.
The rally started early Wednesday morning in Queen’s Garden in Meanjin/Brisbane and continues to make its way through the city.
The chant “always was, always will be Aboriginal land” and “They say murder? We say justice” echoed through Brisbane’s CBD.
Signage including “No pride in genocide” and “Australia Day=Invasion Day” were plastered throughout the crowd.
Indigenous elders and leaders used the rally to change the date out of respect to First Nations people who see it as a day of mourning.
Brisbane Invasion Day organiser and Jagera man PJ said every issue that affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is a result of January 26.
“Community is important and the government has shown us time and time again, that they don't know how to keep community strong”
“We are the oldest continuous culture in the world with over 1500 languages and dialects and many 1000s of song lines that are sung for Mother Earth and yet genocide continues to oppress our people”
The protest is hosted by the Yuggera Nation, the traditional owners of the land.
The event includes speakers, performers and food stalls in what is one of the largest shows of support in recent years.
Non-Indigenous Australians have been celebrating what is known as ‘Australia Day’ for 29 yxjmtzywears.
Invasion Day rallies are held in every capital city in Australia on January 26 despite a surge in Covid cases across the country.
Organiser Sam Watson Jnr said due to the recent Omicron wave this year is expected to deliver a smaller turnout for 2022.
“We are trying to do everything we can to be Covid conscious. We have masks, sanitiser, and QR codes for people to scan when they arrive,” he said.
“We’re asking people to socially distance and manage Covid in other ways like avoiding public transport if they can and not heading to big gatherings before the march.”
An interactive map of Indigenous Australia can be found here.
A link to further details of the event can be found here.
